Knotter operating mechanism



Oct. 13, 1964 w. L. PERRY 3, ,8

KNOTTER OPERATING MECITIANISM Original Filed Sept. 29. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 353 I IFIG.1

Oct. 13, 1964 w. L. PERRY KNOTTER OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13, 1964 w. L. PERRY KNOTTER OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,152,821 KNOTTER OPERATING MECHANISM Winthrop L. Perry, Milford, N.H., assignor to Abbott 8 Claims. (Cl. 28918) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 141,884 filed September 29, 1961, and relates particularly to improvements inmechanism for operating the knotter in'an automatic winding machine. In the machine of that application winding units are automatically tended by mechanism which includes a package end-finding nozzle which moves to the package, finds and draws in the end of yarn and retracts away from the package, holding a length of this yarn. Along with operation of this nozzle, either one of two other yarn placement operations occurs. The end of yarn from the supply bobbin which is already on the winding unit may be carried into the region of the yarn from the package. Or, when the supply bobbin has been dotted from the winding unit, a new yarn end from a bobbin in a rotary bobbin magazine may be carried into the region of the yarn from the package. In either case, the object is to tie a yarn onto the end of yarn of the partially wound package.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in the nature of an elevation showing the tending mechanism, much of the bobbin magazine being omitted;

. FIG. 2 is a diagram in the nature of a plan showing parts of the bobbin magazine; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation taken from the point of view opposite to that of FIG. 1 showing the knotter and operating mechanism therefor.

In FIG. 1, one of the several winding units is at the automatic tending mechanism, with its partly wound package P sit-ting upon its drive roll. The end-finding nozzle is indicated generally at 400 in two positions, in broken lines as its hp 401 engages the yarn package P in the finding operatiomand in full lines as it has retracted from the package-and holds the found yarn out away from the package. At the moment represented by the full line position of the nozzle, the yarn Y does not extend straight from the bottom of the package to the nozzle because it is somewhat deflected upwardly by the knotter indicated generally at 500, Within which it lies in position for tying, the knotter having been raised as subsequently described. The end-finding mechanism is the subject of a companion application Serial No. 210,996, filed July 19, 1962, a division of the aforesaid application Serial No. 141,884.

By this time, a bobbin yarn end carrier 353 has pulled the broken yarn out of the Winding units slub catcher and tension device, carried it up to an elevated position (sh-own in broken lines in FIG. I), delivered it to a bobbin end suction nozzle 380 (when the latter was in its broken line position) and this nozzle 380 has swung to its full line position, this yarn from the bobbin also lying in the knotter 500 in position for tying. The end carrier and nozzle are more fully described in the aforesaid application Serial No. 141,884.

Alternatively to the placement of the old yarn by the end carrier 353 and nozzle 380, a new yarn end from the magazine may be supplied.

In this magazine the bobbins rest in pockets 602, and

as indicated in FIG. 2 the yarn ends are tensioned by a slowly rotating conical holder 6119 to which they are guided by a ring 610. The steps of rotation of the magazine are counterclockwise in FIG.'2, and as the yarn approaches the location of the knotter it is picked up by a stationary ice guide 644 on which it then rides. The final movement of the yarn into position to be taken by the knotter is by means of an oscillating finger 651 which is mounted on a link 652 and operated by the magazine-indexing linkage 621, 617, 618. The nozzle 380 is shown retracted but empty in FIG. 2 because FIG. 2 assumes that the yarn for knotting to the yarn of the package is supplied by a bobbin from the magazine. The magazine is described in detail in the aforesaid application Serial No. 141,884.

The knotter indicated generally at 5th) is preferably of the type usually used in the automatic winders of Abbott Machine Co., Inc., employing two coarially disposed rotating tying and cutting bills or beaks, operating in synchronism. The yarn-manipulating elements within the knotter are also preferably operated relative to the bills so that rotation of the bills ties the knot known as the fishermans knot. United States Patent No. 2,264,784 and No. 2,146,713 on which No. 2,264,784 is an improvement and corresponding patents of other countries may be referred to as showing the general scheme of tying this knot. These patents involve incorporation of a knotter in an automatic winding machine whereas an earlier Patent No. 1,965,023 illustrates a hand operated knotter for tying the same fishermans knot. As well known in the art the fishermans knot consists of two component knots, namely a knot of a first thread about a single thickness of a second thread and a knot of the second thread around a single thickness of the first thread.

In the present machine the knotter 500 is itself given a motion such that it is well out of the way of paths through which the yarns are carried for their placement in position to be taken by the knotter, whereupon movement of the knotter itself to the yarns, takes the yarns into the knotter. This does not mean that there cannot be overlapping of times of motion of the yarn and knotter, each toward its final position for tying, but merely that the motion of the knotter itself plays an important partin the knotters taking the yarn.

Knotter 500 is mounted on a carrier bar 501 (FIG. 3) movable in an inclined path guided by rolls 502. FIG. 1 shows the knotter in two positions, a lower position retracted from the tying region, and an upper position projected into the tying region where yarns lie in it.

The shaft 596 which drives the tying bills and yarn manipulating elements of the knotter carries fast thereon a gear 565 and a latch disc 507, the latter having a shoulder 508. A rack bar 510 meshing with the gear 505 can rotate the shaft 506 in both directions. A detent 512, pivoted on the knotter and engageable with shoulder 508, normally prevents clockwise rotation of the shaft.

The rack bar 519, which need have teeth only at its rod 516, which is cam operated in timed relation to the motions of the various elements of the automatic tending mechanism, the main horizontal cam shaft of said application Serial No. 141,884 having among its functions the operation of this lifter-rod 516 as well as the end-finding nozzle 490 and end carrier 353. Some of the other cam-operated lifter rods are incidentally shown in FIG. 1, namely rod 444 for operating the nozzle ltitl and rod 351a for operating the end carrier 353 on its guide track 354 through connections 35112 and 3510 and for operating the nozzle 380 through a rod 33% and pivoted arm 389] whose pivot is indicated at 398g in FIG. 2. As the knotter nears its upper position, a collar 518 on a trip rod 519 which controls the detent 512 strikes a stationary stop e. 520 as shown in FIG. 3. This releases the latch disc 567, allowing the rack bar, by its weight, to drop and turn the gear to operate the knotter. The rack bar drops until collar 522 engages stop 522a.

After the knot has been tied, the carrier bar Siil is allowed to return to its bottom position, the rack bar accompanying the carrier bar during the first part of this movement. As the carrier bar nears the end of its downward movement, a lug 514 on the rack bar engages and is detained by a stationary stop element 515 on the supporting frame. As the carrier bar 501 continues its downward movement, the rack bar 51% being detained by stop element 515, the rack rotates the knotter gear 5495 in the counterclockwise direction, restoring the mechanism of the knotter and allowing the detent 5K2; to be moved to detaining position relative to the shoulder 5% by action.

of a compressionspring 512a which acts between the collar 518 and a bracket 51% which moves with the carrier bar Sill. Energy, represented by the weight of the rack bar, has thus been stored for the next operation of the knotter. FIG. 3 shows the lug 514 in three positions, an upper full-line position corresponding to the full line position or" the rack bar 5119, a second somewhat lower broken-line position which shows how the rack bar has dropped in operating the knotter, and finally a bottom brokendine position in contact with the stop element 515. The upper position of lug 514 represents its relation to the carrier bar 501 while the rack bar is in what might be called a charged condition, in condition, to drive the drive, and that the final movement of the knotter in the opposite direction that is, in the direction in which the knotter takes the yarns, trips the knotter drive.

I claim:

1. In an automatic winding machine, a knotter, yarnhandling mechanism adapted to dispose two yarns for reception by the knotter, means for raising the knotter to cause the knotter to take the yarns and for lowering the knotter after the tying operation, means effective as a consequence of the lowering of the knotter to store energy.

for driving the knottenand trip mechanism effective at an upper position of the knotter to permit the knotter to be driven to tie theyarns.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 including a pinion on the knotter for driving the knotter, a rack bar meshing with the pinion and movable up and down with the knotter, means for restraining the rack bar against moving as far in the downward direction as does the knotter, thereby to cause a relative rise of the rack bar with respect to the knotter, and detent means for preserving such relation of rack bar to knotter during the upward movement. p

3. In an automatic winding machine, a knotter, yarnhandling mechanism adapted to dispose two yarns for: reception by the knotter, means for raising the knotter to cause the knotter to take the yarns and for lowering the knotter after the tying operation, a weight associated with the knotter for operating the knotter means for restraining the knotter from operating, means for releasing the restraining means when the knotter is in an upper position, and means for eifecting a relative rise of the weight relative to the knotter while the knotter lowers.

4. In an automatic winding machine, a knotter, yarnhandling mechanism adapted to dispose two yarns for reception by the knotter, means for raising the knotter to cause the knotter to take the yarns and for lowering the knotter after the tying operation, a weight associated with the knotter for operating the knotter, the weight being movable with the knotter but to a lesser extent in the downward direction of movement so as tocause a relative rise of the weight relative to the knotter, detent means for preserving such relatively raised condition of the weight, and means for releasing the detent means in an upper position of the knotter to allow the weight to operatethe knotter.

5. In an automatic winding machine, a knotter for tying yarns, means for raising the knotter toan operating position andfor lowering the knotter after the tying operation, means etfective as a consequence of the lowering of the knotter to store energy for driving the knotter, and trip mechanism effective at an upper position of the knotter to permit the knotter to be driven to tie the yarns.

6. Mechanism as claimed in claim 5 including a pinion on the knotter for driving the knotter, a rack bar meshing with the pinion and movable up and down with the knotter, means for restraining the rack bar against moving as far in the downward direction as does the knotter, thereby to cause a relative rise of the rack bar with respect to the knotter, and detent means for preserving such relation of rack bar to knotter during the upward movement. 1

. 7. In an automatic winding machine, a knotter for tying yarns, means for raising the knotter to an operating position and for lowering the knotter after the tying operation, a weight associated with the knotter for operating the knotter, means for restraining the knotter from operating, means for releasing the restraining means when the knotter is in an upper position, and means for effecting a relative rise of the weight relative to the knotter while the knotter lowers.

8. In an automaticwinding machine, a knotter for tying yarns, means for raising the knotter to an operating positionand for lowering the knotter after the tying operation, a weight associated with the knotter for operating the knotter, the weight being movable with the knotter but to a lesser extent in the downward direction of movement so as to cause a relative'rise of the weight relative to the knotter, detent means for preserving such relatively raised condition of the weight, and means for releasing the detent means in an upper position of the knotter to allow the weight to operate the knotter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,784 Abbott g -Q. Dec. 2, 1941 2,454,689 Dashew NOV. 23, 1948 2,700,252 Paganalli Ian. 25, 1955 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE, A KNOTTER, YARNHANDLING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO DISPOSE TWO YARNS FOR RECEPTION BY THE KNOTTER, MEANS FOR RAISING THE KNOTTER TO CAUSE THE KNOTTER TO TAKE THE YARNS AND FOR LOWERING THE KNOTTER AFTER THE TYING OPERATION, MEANS EFFECTIVE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE LOWERING OF THE KNOTTER TO STORE ENERGY FOR DRIVING THE KNOTTER, AND TRIP MECHANISM EFFECTIVE AT AN UPPER POSITION OF THE KNOTTER TO PERMIT THE KNOTTER TO BE DRIVEN TO TIE THE YARNS. 